Bathing suit



D. B. LEVI BATHING SUIT April 21, 1936.

Filed March 12, 1934 5 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to a suit for use in bathing or swimming in water and also for taking sun baths. I

In some localities it is compulsory to use bath- 5 ing suits on land or in public which not only cover the hips of a person but also the breast and this has resulted in the use of bathing suits having trunks which may be worn on land and in the water and a separate shirt which may be worn on land but may be removed for greater comfort when going into the water or when taking a sun bath in privacy. This however is objectionable onraccount of the liability of losing the shirt when left on the beach while swimming or misplacing the same while taking a sun bath.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a bathing suit having a shirt so attached to the trunks that the shirt may be worn over the breast while out of the water or while sun bathing in public and still permit of conveniently tucking the shirt into the trunks in a manner which is comfortable and allow full freedom of the breast for obtaining the maximum exercise and enjoyment while swimming and. also adequate exposure of the breast while bathing in sun light or artificial light.

To that end this invention consists generally in providing the trunks of a bathing suit with an upwardly opening pocket and a shirt which in normal use extends upwardly from the trunks and is adapted, when not in use to be trucked downwardly into said pocket.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of bathing suit embodying my invention,

showing the shirt in use.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Figure 4' is a vertical transverse section taken on the correspondingly numbered line in Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of a bathing suit containing a modified form of my improvements.

In the following description similar characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing: The numeral I0 represents the trunks of the bathing or swimming suit preferably of knitted textile material which comprises an upper annular girdle or body section I I adapted to surround the waist of a person and two tubular nether sections or legs I5 adapted to receive the legs of the same. The girdle may be provided on its exterior with a belt I3 for holding the same in place.

In the preferred form of this garment the front part of the trunks is made of a double layer of textile material to provide a front outer or main wall I4 and a front inner or auxiliary wall I5, and thereby form between them a pocket or pouch I6 which is closed at the bottom and sides and open at its upper end and extends transversely across the front half of both legs and vertically from the lower ends of the legs to the upper end of the girdle.

The numeral I1 represents the shirt or breast section of the garment which is also preferably made of knitted textile material and adapted when the garment is in use to cover the breast of the person wearing the same. The shirt is preferably permanently connected at its lower edge with the upper edge of the front wall of the pocket by sewing. as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or otherwise, and is provided at its upper end with a neck band or loop I 8 adapted to pass rearwardly around the neck of the wearer, and intermediate of its upper and lower ends thereof the shirt is provided on its opposite vertical edges with a breast band I9 adapted to pass rearwardly around the breast of the wearer below the arms of the same for holding the shirt in place while in use The neck band may be made in the form of a permanently closed loop but the breast band is preferably divided adjacent to one edge of the shirt and'has its ends connected by a detachable fastening 20 of any suitable character, such as a press button.

When going to and from the water or strolling on the beach the garment is worn in its-unfolded condition so that the trunks cover the hips and the shirt cover the breast, as shown by full lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, thereby complying with the conventions wherever this is a requirement. Before entering the water, however, the bather releases the shirt from the breast by slipping the neck band over the head and opening the breast band and then tucks the shirt and its bands downwardly into the pocket I6 for storing the same therein, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. The bather is thus able to obtain the full exposure of the breast and freedom of movement of the same and secure the maximum enjoyment of.this form of exercise while in the water, but upon returning to the beach or bath-house the shirt may be removed from the pocket of the trunks and applied to the breast to conform to any rules which make this a necessity.

When the shirt is tucked into the pocket of the trunks the same may be spread out in the latter to such an extent, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, that no appreciable lumps or bunches are formed, and thus avoids any discomfort as well as maintaining a neat appearance while the garment is worn in its folded condition.

In order to further reduce the liability of forming any bunches on the trunks when the shirt is tucked in the pockets, the shirt is made of thinner material than the trunks, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, thereby reducing the bulk of the shirt and permitting of storing the same in the pocket without appreciably thickening the amount of material present in the front part of the garment when worn with the shirt concealed within the pocket.

If desired the upper edges of the walls of the pocket may be fastened together by press or snap buttons 2| or other suitable fastenings for confining the shirt in its folded condition therein, and thus prevent accidental escape therefrom or possible interference with bathing or detracting from the appearance of the garment.

By permanently connecting the shirt with the trunks the same is not liable to become lost as occurs in the use of a detachable shirt which may be left on the beach and frequently is mislaid or inadvertently carried away by others. Instead of this the present shirt is always available and can be quickly removed from the pocket of the trunks and restored to the breast for adequately covering the same to meet local rules.

By employing two walls on the front of the trunks to form the pocket for the shirt this part of the trunks is strengthened and adapted to resist wearing strains when the garment is in use, and also more fully supports the front part of the body of the wearer. When the shirt is spread out in the pocket this part of the garment is still further reinforced and also serves as a protecting cushion against possible injury while in use.

Although Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 show the pocket for storing the shirt as formed in the front part of the trunks, this pocket, if desired, may be formed on any other desired part of the trunks. For example, as shown in Fig. 5 a pocket 22 is formed in the rear part of the trunks between a rear outer wall 23 and a rear inner wall 24, and into this pocket a shirt 25 normally covering the breast and back of the wearer may be tucked when not in use, as shown by full lines in this figure. In this construction the shirt has the lower end of its rear part permanently connected by sewing or otherwise with the upper edge of the rear outer wall 23, and the lower end of its front part detachably connected by buttons 25 or the like with the upper edge of the front part of the trunks, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5.

A bathing suit embodying this improvement is very light and serviceable and can be produced at low cost inasmuch as the same requires only -a small amount of extra material.

Although this bathing suit has been described herein principally for use in swimming, the same is equally useful for bathing in sunlight or artificial light.

I claim as my invention:-

1. A bathing suit comprising trunks provided with outer and inner walls forming an upwardly opening pocket, and a shirt normally extending upwardly from the upper edge of one wall of said pocket and made of lighter material than said trunks and adapted when not in use to be tucked downwardly into said pocket.

2. A bathing suit comprising trunks having two legs and a pocket arranged on the front of said trunks and having outer and inner walls extending across the front half of the trunks and from the upper edge to the lower edge thereof, and a shirt of lighter material than said trunks normally extending upwardly from the outer wall of said pocket and permanently attached at its lower end to the upper edge of said front wall and adapted when not in use to be tucked into said pocket across both legs of said trunks.

3. A bathing suit comprising trunks having two legs, a pocket. arranged on the front of said trunks and formed by an outer wall constituting the front half of said trunks and an inner wall which is equal in width to the front half of said trunks and has its side edges connected with said trunks at the transversely opposite sides of the latter; and a shirt attached at its lower edge to the upper edge of said outer wall and normally extending upwardly therefrom and adapted when not in use to be tucked downwardly into said pocket and spread across the front half of said trunks so as to conceal the shirt and prevent the same from forming bunches in said pocket.

4. A bathing suit comprising two legs, an upwardly opening pocket arranged on one half only of said legs, and a one piece shirt extending normally upwardly from one upper edge of said pocket, and adapted to be tucked in its entirety into said pocket.

5. A bathing suit comprising trunks having two legs, a pocket arranged on said trunks and formed by an outer wall and an inner wall, which walls are equal in width to one half of said trunks and have their side edges connected at the transversely opposite sides of the trunks; and a shirt attached at its lower edge to the upper edge. of one of said walls and normally extending upwardly therefrom and adapted when not in use to be tucked downwardly into said pocket and spread across one half of said trunks so as to conceal the shirt and prevent the same from forming bunches in said pocket.

DAVID B. LEVI. 

